from Aline (Macha) O’Brien – Pagans, both groups and individuals, were a strong and visible presence at the most recent Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago. I attended as a National Interfaith Representative of the Covenant of the Goddess (cog.org), without whose support I wouldn’t have been there, but also less formally for Cherry Hill Seminary and COMPASS (pagancommons.org). On behalf of the third, I found several Pagans eager to participate in Hematite Inmate Ministries, as well as potential interviewers — interviewees are easy to find, interviewers much harder — for the Pagan History Project. What I was most proud of, however, were two plenary speeches by Pagans, both on the rise of facsism, one by PWR Trustee Phyllis Curott and the other by CoG member Dr. Gus diZerega.
Category Archives: communications-pages
CHS Pagans at 2023 Parliament
from Lawrence Lerner – The 2023 Chicago Parliament of the World’s Religions celebrated 130 years in the birthplace of the modern interfaith movement. 2023 was the largest Pagan presence in its history, with approximately 200 Pagans in attendance. Our community had an exceptionally welcoming, inviting interfaith room, curated by Twilla York, featuring 20 insightful talks, two tables brimming with reading literature and books, and contributions from a dozen or more Pagan traditions and groups. Rev. Laura Gonzalez added to the grandeur with a powerful presentation during the opening ceremony in front of 8,000 attendees. It was a moment of progress. During one of the first modern Parliaments, members of one faith group walked off stage when the Goddess was invoked. Join us in future events as we continue to raise awareness of the Pagan presence and celebrate its contributions to the interfaith movement. Summarizing an event three years in the making and many sessions and panels was tough. I wanted to acknowledge the Pagan presence and stellar work of so many people, but two rose to the top. Our interfaith room showed the effort and dedication of the entire Pagan community.
Seminary Announces New Vision-Mission Statements
COLUMBIA, SC — Cherry Hill Seminary today announced new vision and missions statements for the organization. The statements reflect several months’ work by a special committee which consisted of board members, students, staff, volunteers, and faculty, and followed a special survey in the spring of all who are on the broader Seminary email list. Here are the new foundational texts:
Vision 2023: Cherry Hill Seminary envisions a world where people of Pagan and Nature based spiritualities can receive competent and compassionate spiritual support.
Mission 2023: Cherry Hill Seminary serves Pagan and Nature-based communities by providing transformative education and empowering students to advance academically and lead spiritually.
Board chair Jeffrey Keefer noted, “We are proud of our work, and as we look into the future, we want to invite those intrigued and feel called to share in our vision to join us as we seek to make the world a better place. Know that our efforts are guided through the lens of our Mission, one we continue to live every day.”
The committee was chaired by Laurel Holmstrom-Keyes, who said, “The impetus for reviewing the Vision and Mission came from our pursuit of [future] accreditation. It was important to the Board that our Vision and Mission were strongly reflective of the work of Cherry Hill Seminary.”
A promotional tag line, “Seek-Explore-Empower,” was also suggested by the committee. A process for rollout and implementation of the new vision and mission include suggestions for faculty, board and staff use, posting in strategic locations on the web site and in classroom platforms, new social media graphics and the video here.
Jo Carson
Jo Carson seeks to create positive visions of the future through Feraferia, A Love Culture for Wilderness. She is Chair of the Board of Feraferia, which she joined in 1972. Jo holds a Masters’ Degree from UCLA in film production, and her professional life has included camera work on many feature films. She directed and produced the documentary feature Dancing With Gaia: Earth Energy, Sacred Sexuality and the Return of the Goddess, plus documentary shorts A Dance for the Goddess about Feraferian rites, and Himalayan Pilgrimage: A Visionary Journey. She authored Celebrate Wildness: Magic, Mirth and Love on the Feraferian Path, an introduction to Feraferia through art. She is currently working on a Feraferia Tarot deck and book.